Gamers8’s 2023 CS:GO event opening day has taken the esports world by storm, generating impressive viewership numbers that rival some of the top Major events in recent memory. This remarkable achievement marks a turning point for Gamers8, a relatively new player in the esports event scene, as they struggled to garner substantial viewership in their previous endeavors despite offering substantial prize pools and hosting elite teams.
The inaugural Gamers8 Rocket League Tournament in 2022 boasted a massive $2 million USD prize pool, attracting some of the best teams globally to compete in Saudi Arabia. However, despite the enticing cash rewards, the event only managed to reach a peak viewership of 31.6K, leaving room for improvement. Fast forward to 2023, and Gamers8’s CS:GO event is finally getting the attention and recognition they’ve longed for.
The opening day of the Gamers8 event immediately garnered strong viewership figures, setting the stage for a blockbuster tournament. The matchup between MIBR and Team Vitality kicked things off with a bang, pulling in a staggering 255.7K peak viewers—a remarkable feat that would place the event among the top 15 most-watched esports events of the year. This impressive start hinted at the excitement and anticipation surrounding the tournament.
However, the real highlight came with the clash between NAVI and Furia Esports, which managed to unite CS:GO enthusiasts and achieve an astonishing 429K peak concurrent viewers. To put this into perspective, this peak viewership figure catapulted the event into the upper echelons of esports tournaments, firmly establishing its significance and appeal to fans.
Gamers8 2023 CS:GO Day 1 Viewership statistics
NAVI, one of the most popular teams in the CS:GO discipline, teamed up with Furia Esports, which boasts massive regional support. The matchup also featured FalleN, a veteran and fan favorite esports professional, further fueling the excitement and anticipation among viewers.
With a peak viewership of 429K, the event effortlessly secured a spot among the top 10 most popular esports events of the year. Impressively, it also claimed the title of the second-most popular first day of viewership for any CS:GO event in 2023. While it couldn’t surpass the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023, which enjoyed a peak concurrent viewership of 671.7K on its opening day, it’s essential to note that the Paris Major was an official Valve-sponsored Major event—a rare and prestigious occurrence in the CS:GO world.
The first day alone contributed nearly 2.8 million hours of watch time, with an average of 243K viewers tuning in throughout the stream. Since the event’s commencement, viewership has remained consistently high, making it highly likely that the tournament will break the impressive 10 million hours of watch time barrier before its conclusion. To provide context, the most popular five-day CS:GO event in 2023, the BLAST Premier: Spring Final, accumulated 9.1 million hours of watch time—an achievement that Gamers8 is well on its way to surpassing.
When comparing Gamers8 2023 to other top CS:GO events from both 2022 and 2023, it becomes evident that the tournament holds a strong position. While it may slip slightly in the rankings when 2022 data is included, it still outperforms the opening days of renowned tournaments like IEM Cologne. Notably, Gamers8’s event achieved the highest average viewership of any non-Major event in the past two years, firmly establishing itself as a major player in the Counter-Strike industry.
As the event continues throughout the weekend, culminating in the Grand Final on Sunday, August 20th, at 7 PM CEST, fans and analysts alike eagerly anticipate more exhilarating matches and record-breaking viewership figures. While NAVI, Cloud9, and GamerLegion have already exited the event, Gamers8’s success in attracting viewers not only highlights its potential as a significant player in the Counter-Strike esports scene but also positions it as a name to watch in future tournaments. Stay updated with the tournament’s developments on Esports Charts’ tournament page, as the esports world witnesses Gamers8’s meteoric rise in the industry.
